Mistaken identity

MOLETJIE – A CASE of mistaken identity cost one man his life, and the serious injury of another man in Moletjie last Tuesday.

The people of Leokama village are still reeling with shock following the bludgeoning to death of a young man opposite a school in the Moletjie area.

Seshego police spokesperson, WO Mothemane Malefo, said the deceased was William Malungane (20) from Luthuli Park.

Malefo said Malungane, together with an unidentified acquaintance, had fled from a rehabilitation centre, known as No Smoking Church when the incident occurred.

“The two young men had escaped from the rehabilitation centre and people started chasing them.

“There was a football team that was training next to the centre, and the players joined in the chase and caught them.

“They then started to assault the two men, and Malungane died on the scene,” Malefo said.

He said it was understood that the soccer players mistook the fleeing men for criminals, and without verifying the facts, they brutally beat the men.

Incidents of mob justice have become common in the province over the past few months, with people saying they had lost confidence in the police.

Matome Makgato, a youth activist, said he had witnessed a few mob justice confrontations. He also said people had lost their faith in the men in blue.

“The community often opt to take the law into their own hands because even in instances where criminals are arrested, days later they are seeing roaming the streets and continue to commit crime,” Makgato said.

Malefo said the police still had no idea why the two men were running away from the rehabilitation centre. The incident sparked outrage in the police service, with Malefo condemning the act with harsh words.

“We are appealing to civilians to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

“If someone is suspected of being a criminal, we are urging members of the community to call on the police to deal with the situation.

“People should take into consideration that taking the law into their own hands is a criminal offense.

“They will be charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm or murder if the victim died.”

Malefo said no one was arrested in connection with the murder but investigations continued.